Volunteers have always played an important role at Shannon Trust and, in my role as volunteer network lead, my job is to provide a bridge between the prison and our cohort of volunteers. No role embodies this more within Shannon Trust than our prison facilitator. Working in the prison, they are at the heart of our programmes. They deliver sessions alongside our volunteers and foster links with prison staff to drive engagement and advocate for mentors and learners.
I was lucky enough to recently shadow Valentina, Prison Facilitator at HMP Pentonville, a category B remand prison. There, our mentors are often trained before being transferred once sentenced into other prisons. As a busy remand prison operating within the wider pressures facing the prison estate, I was intrigued to see how Valentina works within the prison and gain first-hand insight into the realities and rewards of the prison facilitator role.
On my arrival, I was greeted by a thoroughly welcoming security team – having visited a lot of prisons this was certainly one of the smoothest experiences in terms of entry. What struck me immediately was the people behind the system. People would say hello in passing and ask about my role and why I was there, whilst asking questions about other prisons and the programme in general. It became apparent very quickly that the facilitator role is about connection and creating a network of support and engagement. It was great to see this in action and see how well integrated Shannon Trust is at HMP Pentonville – with prison staff as well as mentors and learners.
The prison, like many across the estate, is working within a complex environment. Just that morning there had been an incident on a wing which had visibly unsettled many people in the prison. Despite this, Valentina carried on as normal and demonstrated a resilience and professionalism that was incredibly impressive to witness.
HMP Pentonville has no electronic communication to mentors and learners, so part of Valentina’s day is spent moving around the prison to connect with mentors and learners in person. Much of the role relies on building relationships face-to-face and being visible across the prison, which can sometimes be affected by the realities and operational demands of a busy prison environment.
In the afternoon we attended a mentor meeting, where mentors shared some of the practical challenges involved in delivering sessions consistently. Coordinating time for mentors and learners to meet can sometimes be difficult within the wider routines and demands of the prison day. It’s a common theme across prison estates and one that can impact the consistency of sessions and mentor engagement. As one mentor, Tim*, reflected: “I enjoy helping others, and this role gave me some sense of purpose in here. If it wasn't for the occasional difficulties arranging time out for sessions it would be the perfect job to have in prison.”
Despite these challenges, the motivation of mentors to support others was clear. Darius*, a Shannon Trust mentor shared: “I wanted to become a mentor because I like to help people. I really feel like I can make a difference.” Similarly, Leo*, another Shannon Trust mentor explained: “As a foreign national myself I feel I can really help other foreign nationals to improve.”
It’s clear from my short time at HMP Pentonville, and from other prisons across the country, that the prison facilitator role lies at the heart of Shannon Trust. In our contracted prisons, they are the glue that holds the programme together, and you could clearly see the work Valentina has put in to build strong engagement with Shannon Trust across the prison. No prison is without its challenges, but at HMP Pentonville I saw people who genuinely care about our programme and giving learners the best opportunities possible.
Hearing directly from learners reinforced this impact. Adam*, a Shannon Trust learner, shared: “You gave me new confidence by helping me to read amazing books. I was feeling left behind in terms of my reading and writing skills. You gave me not only confidence, but I learned a lot from reading with my mentor. My mentor is such an amazing and kind person and has helped me a lot. I appreciate Shannon Trust and my mentor who have helped me build courage. I love that this has helped me stay positive while in prison.”
It was a pleasure to shadow Valentina and learn first-hand more about the role, whilst also speaking to mentors and learners about how volunteering can best support them. I came away feeling grateful, inspired and full of ideas about how we can continue supporting these crucial roles at Shannon Trust.
*Names have been changed.
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